Les Misérables is a 2012 musical film based on the hit Broadway show of the same name and the thousand-page novel written by Victor Hugo. It was directed by Tom Hooper and stars a medley of fantastic actors like Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Russell Crowe, Samantha Barks, Sacha Baron Cohen, and Helena Bonham Carter. It won three Academy Awards: Best Sound Mixing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Supporting Actress (won by Anne Hathaway).
It follows the story of Jean Valjean in 19th century France, who for decades has been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert after breaking parole. He agrees to care for a factory worker’s daughter, and this decision changes his life forever. Tensions are still building in France after the Revolution, and Valjean finds himself in the midst of it all.
There have been a few film adaptations before, but this is the first adaptation that is a musical. To honor the stage production, the actors all sang live while filming. Broadway actors do this every day, but it had never been done in film before, which is part of the reason why it received so much praise.
I have never seen the Broadway production, but I have been told that the film still has the feel of the stage production and that it kept all the original music, only adding one new song called Suddenly. Needless to say that the music in the film is spectacular, all of the actors did a fantastic job, especially Hugh Jackman, Aaron Tveit, and Samantha Barks. Jackman has proven himself worthy of being able to lead a musical and hold a note. Wolverine is not the only role he can play! He should consider doing more musicals, like The Greatest Showman. Barks played Eponine in the stage adaptation of Les Mis, so she is already the perfect actress for the part. On My Own remains one of my favorite musical numbers of the film to this day. Aaron Tveit played Enjolras, one of the members of the Rebellion and Marius’ close friend. Like Barks, he also has a few theatre credits under his belt.
There is some controversy surrounding the fact that some actors chosen for the film were not a good choice, but I think they all did really well and while I do agree that they should have chosen more stage actors instead of big-name Hollywood stars for certain roles, everyone did a good job.
The film is absolutely beautiful, the cinematography and the music are just the beginning. It is also a very sad film, the title literally means “The Miserable” so keep that in mind when you go watch it. Prepare to sing along to One Day More, and for it to become part of your life since that song is the most popular one. For good reason.
So grab some tissues and enjoy the emotional trainwreck that is Tom Hooper’s Les Miserables!
Picture credits go to Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB.